1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sprinkling system and method. Particularly, the present invention is directed to a sprinkling system and method for providing a sprinkling system to water an area of land wherein the system is easy to install and use.
2. Description of Related Art
A variety of methods, systems and products are known for watering lawn and garden areas. Such methods, systems and products generally comprise above ground sprinklers attached to a garden hose, in-ground sprinkling systems, and micro irrigation type above ground sprinkler systems.
Such conventional methods and systems generally suffer from distinct disadvantages. Sprinklers, for example, although widely used, are not suitable for sprinkling disjointed or irregularly shaped areas. In-ground sprinkling systems, though easily configurable to disjointed or irregularly shaped areas, are expensive and time consuming to install. In addition, in-ground systems require extensive trenching and pipe laying in the area to be watered, numerous components, electrical connections, and high maintenance. Moreover, the “do-it-yourself” gardener cannot easily install and configure these systems without professional help or supervision.
Another system, micro irrigation, resolves some of the issues of the in-ground systems but still suffers from major disadvantages. In the micro irrigation systems, a main supply line is laid in an area to be watered. A tool is provided to poke holes in the supply line at desired intervals. Couplers are provided that are inserted into the holes by the end user, and a smaller diameter secondary feed tube is attached to the connector. The feed tube is cut to a desired length and attached to a spike holding a nozzle. The disadvantages of this system are many. First, there are numerous components, including spikes, nozzles, tubing lines, couplers and piercing tools. Second, the assembly is relatively complicated and requires a number of discrete steps, i.e., piercing the supply tubing, attaching a coupler, attaching feed tubes, and then attaching nozzles. Third, because of the use of so many different components, it is difficult to market the micro irrigation systems at a retail level.
Other systems, though simpler than the micro irrigation systems, also suffer from disadvantages. Such systems include sprinkler hoses, i.e., hoses with holes placed at intervals along the hose. The hoses are connected to a water source, and a spray of water is emitted from the holes. Such hoses are difficult to aim and cannot be arranged in a user-determined watering pattern. Other systems include soaker hoses. With soaker hoses, a porous material is connected to a water source so that water can ooze out of the porous hose into the ground where the hose is laid. Soaker hoses cannot be set up in a user-defined watering pattern.
There thus remains a need for an efficient and economic method and system for providing a sprinkling system that has a minimum of separate parts and can be easily installed and configured.